56^th Renewal of Vow

AS we mark our 56th year of publishing, we commit ourselves anew to the same vision and mission articulated in 1956 by our founder, the late Ermin E. Garcia in its first editorial.

“As a newsmagazine the SUNDAY PUNCH seeks to play a dual role; namely, as a medium of news information and as a forum of public opinion. The second precinds from the first. In other words, it will stimulate public thinking on the basis of objective news reports.

At the outset we wish to make our position clear vis-à-vis politics, religion, and other spheres of controversial thought. This publication is politically independent in the sense that no politician or political group has been or will ever be allowed to be in a position to unduly influence its policies or color its news stories to its editorial columns. We shall often write on and about politicians. But never shall we write for any of them or in behalf of any partisan political cause.

“We shall not deprive any religious group of access to our pages, whether for information or for opinion. At the same time we shall not make a farce of the democratic principle by defying the fact that the country or this province – is, by majority count, Catholic.

That is our position. Now for the brand of journalism we intend to pursue – We reject the idea of a knight-in-shining-armor crusade. But where the truth is concerned, we shall be ruthlessly uncompromising. It may lose us friends or potential income, but all that must be written off as part of the calculated risks of honest and virile journalism. It is not just a whimsy that we have adopted the Socratic philosophy: “No man is to be reverence

d more than the truth.”

 

We look forward to renewing our vow every year and for as long our kabaleyans here and overseas need us.

 

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Reckless reporting?

IT is already sad that one fisherman from Bolinao had died in the accident.  Four other fishermen remain lost at sea and three others injured when a ship with a crew of 29 allegedly rammed a small boat carrying the eight fishermen.  The boat suffered engine trouble.

“We thought the big ship would help us,” said one survivor.  “Instead, it struck us dead center.”

Sadder still was when some newspapers bannered the incident with headlines such as, “Chinese ship rams PH fish boat”. Although the cargo vessel reportedly came from Hong Kong, turns out the ship was more likely of Australian registry.

We are presently in perilous waters with China stemming from the disputed Panatag Shoal, and such seeming reckless reporting might exacerbate matters.

Always, we are for flag and country but, definitely, not for flog and careless, if not crooked, journalism.

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